I’m a new hasbeen boy racer. The 430 acquisition is my first attempt to quit heavy footing and adrenaline rush addiction on the road.

As I posted the other day it’s already winter around here. Although it’s been almost over two weeks since the big snow storm and we got few extra snow falls since… I didn’t really take the car for a ride. I felt much safer driving my beater. Don’t get me wrong, winter condition is a blast for me; enjoy it 99.9% of the time. What drives me nuts is those friggin retards (most of them born and raised here) that drives like they never saw ice and snow before. They kind of recall what that white stuff is only once they burn a red light or rear end the car in front of them. So I gave these idiots a couple weeks before taking the nice ride out.

I found a big parking lot poorly cleaned in the industrial park. Perfect safe place to see how my baby behaves in severe conditions. So, just to put myself in the mood, I screamed at her: Show me how you drift beatch!

Oh lord. A split second later, traction control did what is meant to be and literally took control of the car. Alarms beeping, flashing alerts in the dash, engine management, ABS. WTF?

This is not fun at all. I played with the buttons, tried TRAC OFF. I didn’t find a way shut it off. I guess it makes the car safer for grandpa. But hey, the old fart didn't make it to 92 with all that technology.

Call me old school but this isn't cool. Is there a way to shut the traction control off? Or it is just in the same line as the NAV system where Lexus makes the bold statement: Money don't buy brains, operating the NAV system in motion is not an option. Turning off traction control? You must be kidding or suicidal. No way! “Live with it” pun intended.

Signed - The French sasquatch

 

no u cant. get a s13 for snow and tacmac drifts /thread

 

s13 -> Nice setup!
Much better than mine actually... But I already got a Subaru STi for track fun.

I guess I can't get the best of both worlds.

But common, when I pressed TRAC OFF, I didn't expect it to be the Bad Joke button.

 

Yaff, what does your owners manual say about turning TRAC and VSC off and on?

It is possible that the TRAC and VSC on your Canadian spec LS430 doesn't work the same as on U.S. specification models. For example, recent Canadian spec 6-cylinder GS cars don't even have the buttons on the center console to turn off VSC and TRAC like the corresponding U.S. spec GS cars have. Canadian GS owners apparently have to perform some weird sequence of actions to turn it off TRAC and VSC... hold their breath ... rub their tummy ... press the brake pedal a certain number of times while the car is stopped ... or something like that.

Maybe it is different on the U.S. spec LS430 but both VSC and TRAC can be completely turned off on both my US spec 2000 LS400 and the US spec 2010 LS460 -- specific instructions on how to do it are in both owners manuals ... -- I checked.

 

STI snow drifts are much better since u can control it better. dont tell me u're STI is your beater....i hate u

 

I can turn my traction control off completely. At least enough to let me do a burnout in a dry parking lot

 

Right... Shame on me, thank you for the polite RTFM. When I get back home I will look at it.

Btw, I did 200 miles in 6 hours today. Horrible winter conditions. Sheer ice and winds all the way. It took me 6 hours. I have to admit, the system saved me from ditching the car couple times.

 

LOL... Nah! The beater is a 96 Camry V6LE.

 

Lets keep the thread on topic.

It is my understanding that you can turn off traction control, but not the VSC system (which should not intrude in low speed conditions. You should be able to drive as you p[lease once you turn off traction and wait a bit before pressing the gas pedal.

FYI: if you press the button while gas pedal is depressed, the system will not turn off until you completely let off the pedal for a few seconds.

 

You are, of course, correct.

But it is odd how for the final model model year (2006) of the LS430, the button that turns off TRAC also turns off VSC -- same as it did for the 98-00 LS400. Attached is the relevant text from the 2006 U.S. spec LS430 owners manual.

And then for the LS460, the same button turns off TRAC or TRAC/VSC -- press the TRAC OFF button quickly once to turn off TRAC ... press and hold the TRAC OFF button for more than three seconds to turn off both TRAC and VSC.

I guess all this does seem consistent with what has been done in the final model year for other generations of the LS -- making some features in the final model year of an LS generation more consistent with the first model year of the next LS generation.